What does it mean to have workplace resilience? Why is being resilient at work important? How can you improve employee resiliency? Find out in this article.
The past three years have been a time of adaptation and increased flexibility for organizations and their employees. As a natural consequence of the many changes in workplace dynamic and the introduction of more widespread remote work, the pandemic has caused many people to experience increased anxiety and stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 31% of individuals reported experiencing stress or anxiety due to the pandemic. In extreme cases, individuals even resorted to substance abuse or contemplated suicide as a result.
These developments served as a wake-up call for business leaders, highlighting some of the important aspects of staff management that used to be overlooked—one of which is resilience. Amid challenges and uncertainty, resilience is the attribute that allows people to withstand current and emerging threats.
Change is inevitable, and the way one responds will have a great impact on them and the people around them, personally and professionally. That’s why employers must focus on wellness programs that support their employees in developing a resilient mindset.
What Does Resilience Mean for the Workplace?
As organizations evolve, everyone on the team must adapt to the changes and challenges. Therefore, building resilience must be a key strategic priority. Those who can adapt to changes and remain effective in the face of setbacks or new workflows will be better able to continue to meet the needs of the organization.
Inevitably, however, things like current events, personal challenges, or health problems will affect even the most steadfast employees. Developments like introducing new technology in the workplace, employee turnover, and interpersonal friction can also be a factor in workplace wellness. Employers must offer compassion and support in helping their talent manage feelings of stress and overwhelm.
Workplace stress affects 83% of workers, contributing to 120,000 deaths annually and $190 billion in annual healthcare costs. Thankfully, many people are now more open to discussing their mental health and using different tools and resources to address workplace stress. Many companies now leverage the power of wellness programs to help them handle stress and anxiety within their teams.
Effective Ways to Build Workplace Resilience
Here are four ways to build resilience in the workplace:
1. Promote Mindfulness Exercises
Resilience is rooted in the individual. A person’s mindset deeply affects the way they experience their environment, so mental training practices like mindfulness can be very effective.
Mindfulness training improves one's cognitive flexibility, facilitating better job performance. Mindfulness practices can promote empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence. These qualities reduce employee stress and increase creativityand employee engagement, and promote resiliency—which can significantly improve organizational performance.
2. Assess Employee Workload
When employees have too many tasks assigned to them, it can cause stress and anxiety. Managers and supervisors should monitor the workload assigned to their team members. Project management tools that provide an overview of what each team member is working on can help employees prioritize their tasks based on deadlines and expectations. Additionally, developing time management skills will help people avoid overwhelm and respond to new challenges appropriately.
3. Encourage Breaks
When promoting wellness at work, it's important to pay attention to employees' energy and productivity levels. Ideally, employees should take breaks after 1.5 to 2 hours of work. The reason? An individual's focus, concentration, and energy levels only last up to 90 minutes. Taking a break is critical to help them refocus and realign their thoughts. Not only does it help team members to maintain their energy levels and improve creativity, but it also helps prevent employee burnout.
4. Cultivate a Culture of Compassion
Organizations can invest in promoting a culture of compassion—both for the self and others—and these efforts are always rewarding. Empathy helps create positive work relationships and increases collaboration among colleagues, improving engagement and performance and reducing turnover.
Building resilience in the workplace will serve the organization well amid today’s rapidly evolving business environment—and it's a wise business strategy. Start by assessing where your company is in terms of supporting workplace resiliency and overall wellness. CoreHealth's resilience modules provide you with a comprehensive assessment of your organization's psychological strengths and weaknesses that need immediate attention. Connect with our team today to learn how our resiliency modules gain insights into your workplace well-being.About CoreHealth
CoreHealth Technologies Inc. is a total well-being company trusted by global companies to power their health and wellness programs. Our wellness portals help maximize health, engagement, and productivity for over 3.5 million employees worldwide. We believe people are the driving force of organizations and supporting them to make behavior changes to improve employee health is in everyone’s best interest. With the most flexibility, customizations, and integrations of any software in its class, CoreHealth’s all-in-one wellness platform helps achieve great wellness outcomes.
From simple to sophisticated, it's up to you. For more information, visit the CoreHealth website.
